


In the Reveal

by lalunaoscura



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, how to find out your partner's identity through a song 101
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 13:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21446674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalunaoscura/pseuds/lalunaoscura
Summary: Marinette would recognize that song until the end of her days. The song that haunted her dreams since she heard it played by her partner in an empty studio, three weeks ago.She would recognize that song anywhere. It was the song Chat Noir played for Ladybug after their last akuma fight.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 13
Kudos: 379





	In the Reveal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clslovegood47](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clslovegood47/gifts).

> Happy Birthday, Chelsea!! Enjoy your day, princess, cause you deserve it! You're kind and sweet and this is for you! ;)
> 
> I know how much you love music and how important it is in your life! Also, I know that you love identity reveal... so why not both??? >:D
> 
> Hope you enjoy your little (*cof cof*, 4k is not little, luna, wtf) present!

The last day of school!

Marinette couldn’t wait for the day to end and she would be officially graduated. She couldn’t wait to start college, to follow all the plans of her adult life that would begin soon…

However, some things would not change, at least not yet. She would still live with her parents, keep helping in the bakery, and apparently, keep fighting akumas.

Of all kinds of akumas, Ladybug hated those who were akumatized because of music. Because always, always, their powers involved making everyone deaf with out of tune music.

Desperada and Captain Hardrock still gave her nightmares.

Today’s akuma might be different, but it wasn’t, because Papillon knew how to be an asshole. The akuma was a violinist who had been eliminated on the talent show.

At this time Ladybug hated Alec even more with his stupid demeanor of humiliating candidates who had been eliminated. Another asshole.

She and Chat tried to corner the villain, but the shrill sound of her violin making people deaf was making it difficult. They needed a plan, and soon.

“If we only knew what the akumatized object is.” Chat muttered, running along with Ladybug across the rooftops of Paris as they fled the akuma.

“The violin, maybe? She won’t let it go.”

“Right. Cataclysm!” he shouted, hiding behind a pillar. Ladybug turned to the villain, waving.

“Hey, Arkana! Come get me!”

“Be afraid! Arkana will detune you all!”

The young girl must have been about fifteen, holding a violin in her hands, along with a bow. She was wearing a red debutante dress with yellow details. Her mask was made of golden lace, and her hair had musical notes attached to it.

“Detune? Really? She is trying to make a joke with detonate?” Chat commented.

“You have to agree that she was far more creative than you.” Ladybug teased, picking her yo-yo.

“My Lady, you wound me!” he faked his gasp.

“It’s not my intention, Chaton. Get ready!” Ladybug threw the yo-yo around Akuma’s waist, pulling her.

Screaming, the akuma fell to the floor. Jumping over her, Chat cataclysmed the violin, but no butterfly came out.

Furious, Arkana threw Chat aside and turned to Ladybug, conjuring a new violin.

“You! You’re like them, you don’t recognize my talent!” and then she placed the bow over the violin and started playing.

The sound of a thousand souls burning in the fires of hell reached the ears of Ladybug, who let the yo-yo fall to the ground. She looked toward Chat, who was bent with his hands over his cat ears.

She covered her ears, trying to keep that horrible sound out of her head. Finally the sound stopped.

“See?” Arkana laughed wickedly. “I am the best!”

“What a pawful sound!” Chat muttered and Ladybug moaned. Even though he was almost deaf, the fucking cat found humor to make jokes!

“ITS NOT HORRIBLE!” Arkana shouted, slamming the bow against her leg like a spoiled brat.

“Yes, it is. You don’t know how to play this thing,” Chat teased even more.

“I know!” she slammed her bow on her leg again, furious. Then Ladybug noticed. The object, it was not the violin, it was the bow.

“We need to get that bow from her,” she whispered. “Did you notice she hits herself in the leg when she’s nervous? I was watching the show, it was her grandmother’s bow!”

“It’s certainly where the Akuma is. How do we get it?”

Ladybug frowned, trying to think of a plan. She was determined to cast the lucky charm when she heard Chat’s miraculous beeping and Arkana preparing to play again.

“We need to hide and you need to recharge. And then we will think of something. Let’s go,” she said, running away from Arkana, with Chat following her.

They both lost Arkana, and when they saw they were safe, they entered the first building they saw. They hid in a music studio and Ladybug grunted at the irony.

“I’ll recharge.” Chat said. “I saw a bathroom, I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be waiting there.” she pointed to the corner of the studio, where there was a piano.

Chat agreed and left. Curiously, Ladybug approached the piano and sat playing with the keys. After a while, Chat approached.

“So what are we going to do?”

“We need to rip the bow from her hand. I think if we could intercept one of her arms, we… Chat, what are you doing?”

“Hmm?” he said absently, starting to play some notes. “I haven’t played the piano in a while, I was thinking of playing a little while we think about the plan, if you don’t mind.”

“If it’s better than Arkana’s chords, I really don’t care.” she looked at him sideways, seeing his smile of delight as the notes became more fluid and high. And she grinned at her new discovery.

_Chat Noir played the piano. And he played like a pro._

The notes flowed easily through the air, filling with a melody that sounded like a lullaby. She closed her eyes, feeling the sweet ring of melody fill her ears, soothing her.

She sat down next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Chat missed a note.

“Is it okay for me to stay here?” Ladybug asked, trying to get up.

“No, it’s ok! You can keep your head on my shoulder, my Lady. It won’t disturb anything.” He said hurriedly. Laughing softly, she laid her head down again, relaxing as he played the same notes again.

“I didn’t know you played so well. Where did you learn to play the piano?”

“My Mother. She taught me when I was very young. It was our secret song. I never played this song to anyone. You are the first, my Lady.”

“I'm delighted, Chaton.” she smiled.

He grinned back, still playing.

“She loved to play when she could, and it filled the house with joy. It was good to hear her playing. I loved it. My father too. But he was never as interested as I was. I wanted to play like her. I wanted to learn to play because of her. It was something between us, you know? A bond between my mother and me. She was the one who taught me this song.” he continued strumming the keys absently.

Ladybug looked up, seeing his eyes go dark with sadness. “You know what it is funny?” He asked.

“What?”

“I’d jump in front of a bullet for you. I know I would die for you as you would die for me. We blindly trust each other, but we don’t even know each other. Does this even make sense…?”

“What you said? Yes. The fact that we trust without knowing each other's identities? It is weird. Maybe it’s something about our miraculous intertwining.” she sighed. She had never stopped to think about it. He was right: she didn’t know him. She didn’t know who was the boy behind that mask, how his day was. She didn’t know he played the piano, what he liked to do when they weren’t saving Paris. Hell, she didn’t even know who he was! And yet she would die for him.

“Or maybe not. Maybe it is because… forget about it.” he said, stopping playing. He looked at his hands uneasily. “I trust you more than my father. I told you why I wanted to learn piano. My father never knew, although I know he suspects.”

She paused, trying to find the right words to tell him.

“You know we can’t reveal who we are to each other,” she said finally.

"I know. And it was innocent of me to think that everything would change.” he rose from the piano, looking at the keys with a little sadness. “Well, my Lady, we need to go. We have a villain to defeat.”

*

The plan was simple. Distract Arkana and take the violin bow from her hand. And for that, she had Chat’s support: he pissed off Arkana while she put on the lucky charm – which was a butterfly catching net (oh, the irony!) in action.

“You and your dwarf guitar don’t scare me.”

“ITS. NOT. A. GUITAR!” Arkana shouted and threw the bow at Chat, who jumped sideways in time. Ladybug, using the net, caught the bow before it fell into the river.

She broke the object, purified the akuma and threw the lucky charm up into the air”

Paris was back to normal and Arkana, who was really a young lady, as Ladybug suspected, grunted.

“Pound it.” Chat blinked. Ladybug laughed, but then saw the girl crying. She approached the teenager, who was holding the bow of her violin very tightly, tapping it eagerly on her leg – just as she did when she was akumatized.

“You’re safe,” Ladybug assured.

“My mother said I’m not talented enough. That I have to train more, just because I lost on that stupid reality show.” the girl whimpered. “I didn’t want to be an akuma, I didn’t want to cause problems and…”

“Hey, dear.” Chat stroked her hair, making the girl stare at him. “It’s okay, you're not the one to blame for anything. I know what it’s like to be pressured by parents to be the best. Do you like to play the violin?”

“No.” she hugged herself. “I only play because my mom makes me play.”

“Then why don’t you talk to her about not wanting to play?”

“What if she doesn’t hear me?”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try.” Chat gave a welcoming smile. Ladybug looked at him, lost, and found him so used to this girl’s drama. As if he lived with it in some way.

“Do you think she will hear me?”

“I do.”

“Then I’ll do it.” she nodded, wiping her tears. “Thank you, Chat Noir.”

And then she pecked his cheek and ran off.

“Looks like someone knows very well what she’s going through,” Ladybug commented, standing up.

“I know what it’s like to do things just to please your parents.” he shifted uneasily. “My father is similar to her mother. But don’t worry about it, my Lady. It’s dangerous, it’s my civilian life.”

“Chat…”

“See you later, Ladybug.” he took her hand and kissed her before leaving. Leaving Ladybug standing alone with her heart tight.

*

Three weeks from that day, Marinette had her heart broken by Adrien Agreste.

During the class farewell party and after years of trying and always failing to tell Adrien how she really felt, Marinette finally had the courage to confess to him, after all, this could be her last chance. They’d be going to different colleges, seeing Adrien would be a little harder, even though they were friends, and she was tired of always making excuses.

She would confess to him.

Sure, maybe a few sips of booze helped her build up courage, but the important thing was to tell him how she really felt.

And when she led him away, where they could talk alone, she turned to him and opened her heart.

“I’ve been in love with you since you offered me your umbrella that day.” she said, shivering, feeling nervous, on the verge of a panic attack. “In the last few years, I’ve tried to confess in many ways: with the Valentine’s Day letter I forgot to sign, the scarf you thought was from your father and I didn’t mean…

“Wait, what? Did you buy the scarf?”

She blushed and looked away.

“I made it.”

“Made?”

“And every time I tried to talk to you, Id start babbling...it’s because I was shy and in love with you and… I thought it was finally time. I love you, Adrien.” and then she looked at him and her heart broke just looking at Adrien’s expression.

“Mari… I’m so sorry.”

*

Adrien loved Ladybug.

When he said he loved another, Marinette asked him to please tell her who was the girl. With a bit of arguing and pleading, he finally said who he was in love with. When “Ladybug” left his lips, Marinette closed her eyes, and said “I understand” and left the party without warning Alya or anyone.

She locked herself in her room, ignoring all calls on her cell phone. The next day, she kept ignoring everything and she intended to stay there for a few more years until her mother called her. Grudgingly, but always obeying her mother, Marinette came down the stairs, but it was not her mother who was waiting for her, but Alya.

“Why are you here?”

“I need to talk to you. Girl, you can’t keep excluding yourself from us.”

“Alya, I just need some time.”

“I already threatened Adrien”

“He isn’t to blame for anything. We can’t choose who we love, can we?” she tried to hold back her crying. She tried to stay strong but she broke and began to cry.

“Oh, my dear.” Alya hugged her. Marinette melted in her friend’s embrace, crying what she didn’t cry last night.

*

Calmer, Marinette and Alya carried the boxes the director asked to carry.

They went to school to get the rest of their belongings and the last school newspaper Alya helped write. The director and Madame Bustier found them and asked for help loading a few boxes. The two agreed to help due to the kindness of their teacher.

Marinette was laughing at some bullshit Alya had told her when she heard the sound of a piano. Stopping in place, she almost dropped the box.

She would recognize that song until the end of her days. The song that haunted her dreams since she heard it played by her partner in an empty studio, three weeks ago.

“Mari?” Alya asked. Marinette was still frozen in place, lost in the distant touch of the song that enveloped her like a hug.

“Do you hear that?” she asked, opening her eyes.

Alya stopped, holding the box, and tilted her head.

“Someone is playing the piano,” Marinette whispered.

“I’m listening. But is there a piano here at school?”

“In the arts room.”

“It must be some student presenting a project that they couldnt present before. Come on, let’s go, these boxes are too heavy.”

Grudgingly, Marinette followed Alya, the piano playing getting farther away but she could still feel the echo of the notes in her ears.

She would recognize that song anywhere. It was the song Chat Noir played for Ladybug after their last akuma fight.

Was he here? It had been so long since she had seen him. There had been no akuma attack in a while – much to Alya’s despair – and she hadn’t transformed to the patrol since then, busy with finals and the final projects.

If it was him…

“Alya.”

“Yes?”

“You can go. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“And will you be circling with these boxes around for what reason?” Alya asked, suspicious.

“I need to know who is playing that song.”

“But Mari…”

Marinette set the box down, and then took two steps back.

It might be absurd, but Chat had said that only he and his mother knew the music. In one of the rare conversations they had about their civilian lives, Chat had said that his mother had disappeared when he was still young.

If it wasn't Chat, it was his mother. No matter who was playing that song, Marinette needed to know who it was.

“Wait for me?” she begged Alya. Something in her tone must have made Alya see how serious she was talking, as her expression softened while she set her boxes down.

“I’ll wait for you,” she said, picking up her cell phone and sitting on the floor. “You have fifteen minutes. It’s going to rain and I don’t want to get wet.”

“Thanks.” Marinette smiled, holding the handle of Her purse tightly, and ran down the empty halls, following the sound of the music.

She climbed the stairs that led to the arts room two at a time, almost stumbling. Tikki got out of my bag, and floated beside her.

“What’s the rush?”

“I need to see him.”

“But you are not transformed!”

“It doesn’t matter. I need to find him, Tikki.”

The sound finally grew louder as she approached the art room. The melody came from there, definitely. Heart pounding in her chest, she opened the door quietly, so as not to scare the piano player, and approached with light steps.

It was a man playing the piano.

Marinette closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. If she continued, she would know her partner’s secret identity, and it would be a path of no return. Once she saw who was in the piano, she could never undo that again.

But for the first time since receiving her miraculous, she was ready. Ready to show who she was under that mask. To know who her partner was.

Ready to say, _“It’s me, Chaton. Your Lady!” _As she approached the piano.

But who she saw on the piano was not Chat Noir.

It was Adrien Agreste.

She froze in place, unsure how to react. How did Adrien know that song? Frowning, she took another step in his direction.

Bright green eyes on something black on Adrien’s shoulder made her stop.

Tikki, who was floating over Marinette’s shoulder, smiled and waved. Plagg floated, looking at Marinette then Tikki. He gave a typical Chat Noir smirk, and waved back, tucking himself into Adrien’s coat later. .

Marinette stared at Tikki, a question in her eyes. The kwami nodded, answering her, and then went into the bag.

_“Chat Noir… he…_

_He was Adrien all this time?” _She questioned in her mind.

Marinette looked down at her hands, creating courage. Should she reveal herself? What if it only made things worse?

But if she didn’t tell him, she wouldn’t know how she would react to him again. He needed to know, just as she knew. Hiding such a secret from her partner was something she couldn’t even imagine – or do.

She approached slowly and sat on the piano bench beside Adrien. The boy stopped playing on the spot, looking at her with fright.

“Hi,” she murmured, smiling a little uneasily.

“Hi,” he replied uneasily, staring at her with those green eyes.

Those green eyes that were too familiar to her.

Adrien was Chat Noir the whole time. He was by her side all the time. Right in front of her face this whole time! How had she never realized?

“I didn’t want to disturb you. Sorry.” she said, averting her eyes to Adrien’s fingers. The silver ring was still there. On the same finger as Chat Noir wore his.

How had she never noticed?

“You’re not disturbing me. What are you doing here?”

““I came to help Alya get some things. And you?”

“I came to pick my fencing things, since I’m going to college, I’ll practice it there. I was walking around school, and I found this piano here. I couldn’t resist.”

“You’re so talented! Can you play again? It was a really beautiful song.”

“Thank you, Mari. And of course.” he said, flushed, and then continued to play. The same notes that Chat played for Ladybug, weeks ago. The same song he learned to play with his mother. “It’s been a while since I last played. I was missing this.” he explained.

“You play so well. Where did you learn this song?” She asked, even already knowing his answer.

“My mother. She taught me this song. I never played this song for anyone..”

And here was her answer. She had recognized that song because Chat Noir had played it for Ladybug, and now Adrien, her Chaton, was playing it for Marinette.

Adrien Agreste.

Her childhood love.

That sat in front of her.

That was sweet. Faithful. Loyal.

He was your partner. He was her crush.

He was her lover.

All these years, she said no to Chat because she was in love with him in his civilian form. But the boy behind the mask, though she didn’t know him. But deep inside, she knew she would love Chat. She would always love him in a way.

And would he love the girl behind the mask if he knew her? Because she already knew Adrien was in love with Ladybug. But would he fall in love with Marinette?

How ridiculous could their love story be?

“Really? To no one?” she teased, grinning.

“W-Well… I played for one person. But it was a long time ago. I couldn’t ask what she thought about the song and I never had the opportunity to play it to her again.”

“And this song, your mother is who taught it to you, right?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever played it for your father?”

“Oh no. The song was a secret between mom and me. Besides, I doubt my father approves of the song. It’s too much fun for him.” he rolled his eyes. “I can’t please anyone.” He stopped playing, his shoulders hunching forward.

“Adrien—”

“I hurt you, Marinette. I made you cry. I made you hate me because I can’t get over a teenage crush and—”

“Adrien—”

“I can’t stop thinking about what you said to me yesterday, Mari. And how I feel about you. I’m afraid of hurting you even more.”

“Adrien, please—”

“I can forget Ladybug. She really doesn’t love me anyway and—”

“Wait.” she covered his mouth and stared at him seriously. “Breathe. Let’s take this one step at a time.”

He took a deep breath and she ended up laughing.

“Do you love Ladybug?”

“I thought I loved her, but… for a while now, I don’t know. I think of you, I think of her. I think, and think, and I do everything wrong.”

"And if you had a chance to confess to her, would you?”

“I-I think so?”

“And if she loves you back, would you want her?”

“Mari, I don’t know.” he looked desperate.

“And if she were here with you, would you be honest about your feelings for her?”

“Why are you asking me that, Marinette?”

“Because I need a sincere answer, Adrien. Because I need to know if I can stay in love with you or if it’s time for me to move on. If she were here, would you be honest with her?”

“I… yes, I would.”

She smiled, opening her purse.

“Tikki, you can come out now.”

Tikki came out of the bag, flying close to Adrien. She smiled broadly.

“It’s good to see you again, Adrien.”

Adrien opened his mouth in shock. He looked at Tikki and then Marinette and then Tikki again.

“Breathe, Chaton. Do you need a helping hand… or rather a paw?”

“You… you are Ladybug… and you know that I am…”

“Chat Noir?” she cocked her head to the side. “Of course I know. I found you, my Chaton.” she took his hands in hers smiling.

“What made you reali…? The song…” he took a deep breath, laughing with relief. “You recognized the song.”

“Yes, I did.”

“You are Marinette.”

“Yes, I am.”

“My Lady is Marinette,” he muttered, dumbfounded. She laughed.

“Yes, chaton. It’s me.”

“I dumped my princess because I was in love with my Lady, and in the end, they’re the same person.”

“That’s right. Very well, you are doing very well.” she teased, patting his hand comfortingly.

“My Lady…” he looked at her well. “How did I never realize you were right in front of me?”

“I don’t know, chaton. I think we are both very blind.”

“Or stupid.”

“Or stupid,” she agreed, laughing even harder. “And now?”

He sighed, taking her hand in his.

“I just know that I love you. The girl who made me a scarf and didn’t tell me that I was mistaken because I was happy to think it was my father’s gift. I love the girl who answered my poem. I love the girl who without hesitation jumped off the Eiffel Tower to save a colleague. I fell in love with you. For your courage. For your altruism. And Mari…”

He cupped her face with both hands.

“It was what is inside you all the time. You don’t need these earrings to be able to do good. In order to take risks for others. To do it what is right. And I love you for that. You’re my everyday Ladybug.”

She swallowed hard, trying to not cry.

“So, my princess, why don’t you give me the honor of kissing you?”

She blushed, feeling Adrien caress her cheek. And then, finally, she nodded.

“My princess…” he murmured, holding her face and bringing his mouth close to hers. “My lady, my Marinette… I love you.”

“I love you, Chaton. My silly cat, my Adrien.”

“Oh my god, just kiss already!” Plagg muttered, coming out of Adrien’s pocket.

“PLAGG!” Tikki and Adrien shouted together. Tikki pulled Plagg by the paw and dragged them into Marinette’s bag.

Marinette and Adrien shared a look and then laughed. Looking in his eyes, she asked, wetting her lips.

“Where were we?”

“I think we were about to do this…” he smirked his signature Chat Noir smirk and then finally, FINALLY, he kissed her.

The rain began to fall outside. Its noise was the soundtrack of the kiss that sealed Adrien’s commitment to Marinette. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She buried her fingers in his hair, curling them as he deepened the kiss.

Her heart hammered in her chest. After years, here she was, in his arms. In the arms of the boy who jumped in front of her to protect her and save her countless times. In the arms of the boy who always helped her, encouraged her, praised her. In the arms of her best friend. Of the love of her life.

Just like that day, when he offered her an umbrella and a friendship, it was raining. Today, in this rain Adrien offered his heart and fidelity to Marinette.

And she readily accepted.

He bit her lower lip, pulling slightly as he pulled away. He smiled like a kid on Christmas night, touching his forehead to her forehead.

“Finally.” he sighed with relief, kissing her again.

“Girl, if you’re in here, I need you to know that I hate you because I had to carry the boxes by myself and they were heavy and— OH. MY. GOD. ARE YOU KISSING ADRIEN?!”

They broke the kiss, flushed, but smiling. Marinette looked at Alya and smirker.

“Maybe?”

Alya screamed.

It took years, but finally Marinette and Adrien were together.

And this time, with no secrets between them.


End file.
